Monkey business As with their last hit, Elephunk, Black Eyed Peas’ new disc Monkey business is a joyful cross-genre journey with musical props to hip-hop, rock, folk, funk, and pop. The reason the Black Eyed Peas have audience appeal that crosses over many styles is because the band members are such obvious fans of diverse music. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Monkey business’s high-profile guest list. After Justin Timberlake’s contribution to the massive “Where Is the Love” breakout hit from Elephunk, their inclusion of big names once again was a smart, respectful move on the part of the band as well as their guests. “My Style” is Timberlake’s BEP foray number two; while the song is funky pop fun, those looking to hear Justin in the forefront are likely to be disappointed, as his vocals are mixed evenly, no sweet soulful solos this time. Other guests of note are Jack Johnson, who cowrote the bling-bashing “Gone Going,” Sting on “Union” (sonically inspired by the former Police-man’s “Englishman in New York”), while funk legend James Brown contributes to a scorching soul track dubbed “They Don’t Want Music.” The contribution of female vocalist Fergie–who joined the band partway through their last CD–has raised up considerably on the band’s fourth disc, their second as a quartet. Sassily fronting her way through songs like “My Humps,” the “Hey Mama”-esque “Dum Diddly” and the first single “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” Fergie’s melodic contributions make for a record that will likely be heard by wider audiences than ever, making this a truly accessible `hip-pop’ CD. –Denise Sheppard

Recommended Black Eyed Peas Discography

Behind the Front

Bridging the Gap

Elephunk

Customer Review: the black eyed peas are the business, the monkey business
they made an awsome cd! the only thing i diddnt like was that they diddnt make an edited version that came out on cd! i wish they did cuz somtimes my mom gets mad at me for listining to music with bad words but somtimes she doesnt

-

No matter the winner, the Republican presidential primary in Michigan on Tuesday promised to add another wrinkle to a nomination fight that has defied a clear favorite.

A river runs through this camping spot
Terry Richard/The OregonianCamping at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers near Eugene during a canoe trip. I’m off camping again this week and next, May 13-22. I’m still looking for tips on the best places and best things…

Columbia River Gorge hike: Herman Creek to awesome Indian Point
Terry Richard/The OregonianThe view of Wind Mountain and Dog Mountain (left and right) in the Columbia gorge from Indian Point, high above the Herman Creek trailhead. I’m not a big fan of long hikes through uniform forests, unless there’s a…

Merkley, Novick in dead heat, according to poll conducted exclusively for KATU news

Going upriver on the Deschutes without a paddle
Terry RichardBiking the Deschutes River Trail in Deschutes River State Recreation Area. You don’t want the spring rainy season to dampen your mountain biking? A good place to ride year round is the lower Deschutes River Trail (though summer can…

Sales of locally grown biofuel highlight Oregon’s alt-fuel push
Oregon could be on its way to giving big oil a run for its money as the state’s first locally produced biofuel officially went on sale. There s an old axiom that says ‘think global, act local,’” City Commissioner Randy Leonard said.

Legacy Home Inspections
Legacy Home Inspections Legacy Home Inspection Company is located in Chevely, MD. … Legacy Home Inspections the right choice for your home/building inspection needs … eyeballinspections.biz Eyeball Home Inspections. Home Inspector NACHI Certified. … give Eyeball Home Inspections a call for your next home inspection and let his … Career WebSchool Home Career WebSchool Homepage, A distance […]

Congress begins probe into MLB steroid use
“The illegal use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs was pervasive for more than a decade, Major League Baseball was slow and ineffective in responding to the scandal,” said Henry Waxman, a California Democrat.

Measure gives telecoms immunity from eavesdropping lawsuits
The bill gives phone companies retroactive protection from lawsuits filed on the basis of cooperation they gave the government without court permission - something President Bush insisted was included in the bill.

Ralph Nader announces third presidential bid
The popular consumer advocate has decided to again run for president, saying that McCain, Clinton and Obama are all too close to big business interests and that will be a detriment to disadvantaged people.

American Society of Home Inspectors
American Society of Home Inspectors National professional organization of home inspectors with members throughout the United States and Canada. Hampton Roads Real Estate: Home Inspection Checklist … Web offering information about home buying and, in particular, home inspections. … you conduct the consumer home inspection by sitting down with the … ELSA Home Inspections, Inc. Tallahassee, Florida […]

Yellow Bandit strikes in Columbia Gorge
Terry Richard/The OregonianThis fee station machine ate my Jefferson dollar coin at Benson Lake. Ah, the joys of camping and visiting outdoor parks. Too bad you have to be an accountant to figure out all the fees. When you pull…

Adams, lobbyist spar over road repair funding proposal
During a city council meeting at Jefferson High School, where Portland mayor Tom Potter is temporarily basing his office, a lobbyist for the petroleum industry told Adams he wants voters to decide the outcome.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 1:44 am and is filed under Portland News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.